युधिष्ठिर उवाच शीलं प्रधानं पुरुषे कथितं ते पितामह। कथं त्वाशा समुत्पन्ना या चाशा तद् वदस्व मे॥
Yudhishthira said You have said, O grandfather, that conduct is the first thing (for a man). Whence, however, does Hope arise? Tell me what it is.
संशयो मे महानेष समुत्पन्नः पितामह। छेत्ता च तस्य नान्योऽस्ति त्वत्तः परपुरजय॥
This great doubt has occupied my mind. There is no other person than you, Osubjugator of hostile towns, who can remove it!
पितामहाशा महती ममासीद्धि सुयोधने। प्राप्ते युद्धे तु तद् युक्तं तत् कर्तायमिति प्रभो॥
O grandfather, I had great hope about Suyodhana that when a battle was about to take place, he would, O lord, do what was proper.
सर्वस्याशा सुमहती पुरुषस्योपजायते। तस्यां विहन्यमानायां दुःखो मृत्युर्न संशयः॥
Hope is tne sheet-anchor of every man. When that hope is destroyed, great grief follows which, forsooth, is almost equal to death itself.
सोऽहं हताशो दुर्बुद्धिः कृतस्तेन दुरात्मना। धार्तराष्ट्रेण राजेन्द्र पश्य मन्दात्मतां मम॥
Fool that I am, Dhritarashtra's wicked son, Duryodhana, destroyed the hope I had entertained. Mark, O king, the foolishness of my mind.
आशां महत्तरां मन्ये पर्वतादपि सदुमात्। आकाशादपि वा राजनप्रमेयैव वा पुनः॥
I think that hope is bigger than a mountain with all its trees. Or, perhaps, it is bigger than the sky itself. Or, perhaps, O king, it is really immeasurable.
एषा चैव कुरुश्रेष्ठ दुर्विचिन्त्या सुदुर्लभा। दुर्लभत्वाच्च पश्यामि किमन्यद् दुर्लभं ततः॥
Hope, O chief of the Kurus, is highly difficult of being understood and equally difficult of being conquered. Seeing this last attribute of Hope, I ask, what else is so unconquerable as this?
भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि युधिष्ठिर निबोध तत्। इतिहासं सुमित्रस्य निर्वृत्तमृषभस्य च॥
Bhishma said I shall describe to you, O Yudhishthira, regarding it, the discourse between Sumitra and Rishabha that took place in days of yore, Listen to it!
सुमित्रो नाम राजर्षिर्हहयो मृगयां गतः। ससार स मृगं विद्ध्वा बाणेनानतपर्वणा॥
A royal sage of the Haihaya family, Sumitra by namre, went a hunting. Having pierced a deer with a straight arrow, he pursued it.
स मृगो बाणमादाय यथामितविक्रमः। स च राजा बलात् तूर्णं ससार मृगयूथपम्॥
Endued with great strength, the deer ran ahead, with the arrow sticking to him. The king was equally powerful, and accordingly pursued his precious game with great speed.
ततो निम्न स्थलं चैव स मृगोऽद्रवदाशुगः। मुहूर्तमिव राजेन्द्र समेन स पथागमत्॥
The animal, highly fleet, quickly ran a low ground and then a level plain.
ततः स राजा तारुण्यादौरसेन बलेन च। ससार बाणासनभृत् सखगोऽसौ तनुत्रवान्॥
The king, young, active, and strong, and armed with bow and sword and protected with a coat of mail, still pursued it.
ततो नदान नदीश्चैव पल्वलानि बनानि च। अतिक्रम्याभ्यतिक्रम्य ससारैको वनेचरः॥
Having none with him to chase the animal through the forest, the king crossed many rivers and lakes.
स तु कामान्मृगो राजन्नासाद्यासाद्य तं नृपम्। पुनरभ्येति जवनो जवेन महता ततः॥
Possessed of great fleetness the animal, at its will, appearing now and then before the king, ran on with great quickness.
स तस्य बाणैर्बहुभिः समभ्यस्तो वनेचरः। प्रक्रीडन्निव राजेन्द्र पुनरभ्येति चान्तिकम्॥
Pierced with many arrows by the king, that wild animal, O monarch, as if in sport, again and again lessened the distance between itself and the pursuer.
पुनश्च जवमास्थाय जवनो मृगयूथपः। अतीत्यातीत्य राजेन्द्र पुनरभ्येति चान्तिकम्॥
Repeatedly showing its quickness and crossing one forest after another, it now and then appeared before the king at a near point.
तस्य मर्मच्छिदं घोरं तीक्ष्णं चामित्रकदर्शनः। समादाय शरं श्रेष्ठं कार्मुके तु तथासृजत्॥
At last, taking up a very excellent arrow, sharp, terrible, and capable of cutting the very vitals, the crusher of foes, set it on his bowstring.
ततो गव्यूतिमात्रेण मृगयूथपयूथपः। तस्य बाणपथं मुक्त्वा तस्थिवान् प्रहसन्निव॥
That huge animal then, as if laughing at the pursuer's efforts, suddenly went to a great distance by reaching a point full four miles ahead of the range of the arrow.
तस्मिन् निपतिते बाणे भूमौ ज्वलिततेजसि। प्रविवेश महारण्यं मृगो राजाप्यथाद्रवत्॥
That effulgent arrow accordingly fell on the ground. The deer entered a large forest, but the king still pursued it.